Morlantis BloodMoon
by Sanyu DarkStar
Summary: While hunting Raptors T-Bone becomes injured and is rescued by a strange young lady who makes him feel some pretty strange things. (I Didn't write this story Credit goes to Copper Steampunk an amazingly talented writer. It's on my Page because I requested it)


Morlantis Bloodmoon.

There isn't much that I remember from before Argor. My pre-evolved life is pretty hazy to me, and to the other guys as well. But I do remember the day I meet Bloodmoon.

The Raptors were at it again, struggling to find a way to make the planet a hothouse. Their current technology target was a tiny UNO research facility out in the Canadian wilderness. Stegz said it was important that we stop them, so off we went for a routine Raptor Stomp. Of course, it being winter, and the temperature in the Canadian wilderness lower than the surface of Mars, we bundled up in our 'Chedra Approved Winter Gear' before leaving New Mexico.

I have noticed that Chedra refuses to leave the comfort of her ship if the air temperature outside it is under eighty degrees. And she accuses US of whining about the cold!

Anyway, we got in without any trouble. All the humans were conspicuous in their absence, which we were used to by then. Made things easier for us, really. Haxx and Spitor were halfway through assembling something large. They didn't notice us until Spike put Haxx through the far wall. The guys had the Raptors well in hand, but I didn't see Bad Rap anywhere. His scent led away from the other two, deeper into the building.

The useless saurian was hunched over a human sized terminal, furiously clicking away. His jacket was faded and dirty, and his teeth chattered slightly from the ambient cold the humans preferred indoors.

Nothing to do now but get his attention. A nearby desk thrown at his back worked.

He bared his teeth at me. "So the Moron-a-saurus appears."

"You shouldn't talk about yourself like that."

He snarled (that was NOT a roar!) but didn't charge like he usually does to taunting. Instead he stayed by the computer, glaring at me and stamping his feet.

"I'll finish you off for sure this time," there was something clenched in his fist, something that I couldn't see very well. I figured what it was when the wall behind me exploded and knocked me out.

I woke up to the smell of smoke, wood and cigarette, and the howling of the wind. My limbs were heavy with the cold. My eyelids too. Something snapped and crackled nearby.

"Wha-"

"Don't bother moving, your head was hit pretty hard."

A female voice? It wasn't Chedra (I wasn't sure if I was relieved) or Mully (again, not sure if I was relieved) and it wasn't Scarwell (THAT I was relieved about). This was a new female voice. A new female scent, made of cigarettes and cheap liquor and store-bought salsa. A new person who knew I existed.

This could be very bad.

I forced my eyes open through sheer will. There was a fire nearby, the source of the crackling and wood smoke. It was also the only source of light. The walls were made of rock, very different from the man-made research facility. The female leaned into my line of sight, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

"It doesn't look like you have a concussion," her hand was blissfully warm, and I allowed it to tilt my head as she needed. "You should rest a bit more, just to be sure."

"Can't," my throat felt raw, it hurt to speak. "Have to find my friends." I tried to sit up. No luck

"There wasn't anyone around when I dug you out of that building. Your friends are long gone, big guy." She absently brushed some of her blond hair behind her ear. "Let's move you closer to the fire."

It took some doing, with me willing my cold limbs to move and her surprising strength, but we finally got me close enough to the fire that I started to feel a little better.

"You're strong," I watched her settle across the fire from me, unbothered by the fact there was a T-Rex in the cave.

She shrugged. "I'm what happens when the government gets ideas, then lets them run wild."

"Is that why you're out here?"

"Yeah," her gloves became very interesting to her, what with the way she avoided my eyes. "They decided to make a Super Soldier, and tried it out on me and my team. I was the only survivor." She sniffled, but I kept my jaw shut. "They tried to lock me away, to see what changed inside of me, but I escaped. It's safer for me out here."

"Don't you get tired of the cold?"

"Yes…" she groaned and flopped to her back. "I miss my California summers."

I could sympathize with her. Dinosaurs and cold did not mix.

And just like that, I had an idea. A terrible, extremely risky idea, but one that could also succeed. Us guys were always worried about our more fragile friends, like Porky and Chedra. We didn't like to take them with us when we dealt with the Raptors, but leaving them at home had its own risks. Porky's Museum was still too close to Scarwell's labs for comfort; if Scarwell found it while we were gone, she might make an attempt on Chedra, and probably Porky too, just because he was there. Porky's too old to fight effectively, and Chedra still thinks she can talk her way out of any confrontation. If this female stayed with us, she could protect our home when we weren't there. Convincing her was going to be the hard part.

"Did you find my communicator when you dug me out?"

"Communicator?"

"The weird cell phone looking thing."

"Oh, that. Yeah. Here." She pulled it out of a pocket on her jacket and tossed it to me, and I was warm enough that catching it wasn't a problem. I hit the emergency beacon and slipped it into my pocket.

"Thanks."

"You really think they're going to come for you?" she sounded disbelieving. I wondered if she had been abandoned herself at one point.

"They will," I assured her as I moved my feet a little closer to the fire.

She sighed. "It must be nice…"

I looked up from the flames. "What is?"

"Nothing."

In the silence between us her stomach rumbled. "Dammit," she blushed.

Mine growled in response. "Great minds think alike."

"Except I'm all out of food. I forgot to get more today, what with looking after you."

An opening. "You could come with me. We've got tons of food back home."

"Depends on where your home is."

"We're in New Mexico."

She hesitated. "I don't know, that's in America. The government might be able to find me there."

"I doubt it. Scarwell hasn't yet."

That set her off laughing. "Scarwell couldn't find America on a map. You're safe no matter where you are."

"You've met her."

"She's the one who made the Super Soldier formula. Something about needing alien tech to do it. Power hungry bitch." She sighed again. "Why not. I'll go with you."

There was a story behind that. I would ask her later.

"There you are!" Bullzeye appeared around a wall of rock. "We were worried about you!"

"I'm fine. She saved me." I gestured to the female, who's name I still didn't know. "She's coming with us."

Now it was Bullzeye's turn to hesitate. "Okay then." He was suspicious, I could see it in his eyes, but he said nothing. Instead he slung one of my arms around his shoulders and helped me stand. "Geez, T-Bone, you're freezing!"

"I've noticed. Let's go home."

"Right away."

The female stood up and buried her hands in her jacket pockets. She followed us out into the cold without comment, although Chedra's cruiser made her pause.

"What is that?"

"Our ride home. Much faster this way, and with less wind burn."

It was much warmer inside the cruiser, and I was grateful for that. Chedra was at the helm as usual, and Stegz was leaning over her shoulder. She wouldn't let us fly her cruiser unless it was a dire emergency, and even then only Stegz had permission to do so.

Hard Rock and Spike came in just after we did, and with all of us on board, Chedra took us home. The cruiser jumped a little, just enough to make the human female stumble. Hard Rock caught her and helped steady her.

"Thanks," she muttered.

The cruiser jumped again, and this time she was ready with a hand on Hard Rock's arm for balance. Chedra landed her cruiser with the merest bump, and we exited into the hot New Mexico sunset.

It felt amazing.

"I'd forgotten what real warmth felt like," she turned her face to the sun, her eyes closed and a smile on her lips. The light danced over her hair, showing not just golden blond, but strands of platinum blond and strawberry blond. Her skin was smooth and clear, and looked soft to the touch. Her lips were red-

I forced myself to look away. She was human. Humans can be friends, nothing more. There's no point in even considering her as more than friends. Bad enough both Spike and Hard Rock were competing for Chedra's attention. I couldn't let myself get distracted.

Chedra shooed us to the house, lecturing us on improper methods of keeping warm, and insisting we all take a hot shower before eating anything. The guys only grumbled a little bit before doing as they were told.

"And you," Chedra caught the human female's sleeve. "You can use my bathroom to get cleaned up. Do you have a change of clothes?"

"No," she shook her head. "I've only had this for a while now."

"You can borrow some of mine for now. My room's this way."

Porky called out a greeting from the kitchen, telling us that by the time we were done with our showers the food would be ready.

Our bathroom had been remolded last year, so it was now big enough for two of us to shower at a time. Stegz followed me in and took the other stall.

"So this female…"

I sighed under the hot water. "She says she dug me out of the rubble," and I told him everything she and I had talked about, as well as my idea.

He nodded. "I agree, but are you sure we can trust her? We got a lucky break the first time with Porky."

"True, but she's different. She has no one to rat us out to without putting herself in danger as well. Mutual destruction and all."  
We dried and dressed and left the bathroom. Spike and Hard Rock were next, and Bullzeye pouted a little at being last.

"Don't worry," I told him, "We won't start eating without you."

That made him brighten a little.

Stegz and I went downstairs and helped set the table. Porky wouldn't let us help bring out of the food, joking about us eating it the moment it was in our hands, so we kept busy preparing drinks for everyone.

Chedra and the human female didn't appear until after Bullzeye joined us at the table. "Guys, this is Morlantis Bloodmoon. She'll be staying with us for a while." An odd name, but not nearly as odd as the names of Chedra's coworkers on Quadrania.

The guys chorused their hello's, then Porky let us eat. I noticed that he used some of Spike's 'Secret Spice Mix' while cooking, since my insides began to burn after the first bite. After the Canadian cold, it was a welcome change.

Morlantis was paused, not chewing her first bite, tears forming at the corners of her eyes.

"Everything okay?" asked Stegz. "Is it too spicy?"

"No," she said around the mouthful of food. "It's perfect. I haven't had decent Mexican food in years." She chewed slowly, clearly savoring the flavors.

Chedra made a point of putting a few more taquitos on Morlantis's plate. "If you like it, then get more now. These guys are bottomless pits."

She nodded her understanding.

We didn't have an extra bed ready, so Hard Rock took the extra blankets and helped Morlantis get settled on the couch. I glanced at Bullzeye to gauge his reaction, and he just made a show of yawning and stretching. "I'm too tired for monster movies tonight. Goodnight everyone."

Upstairs, Stegz and I explained my idea to the others, and they agreed to our reasoning. "It'll be tough, though, getting used to another female," pointed out Hard Rock. "Are we sure she and Chedra won't but heads?"

"I doubt it. Females in general get along so long as they're not competing over anything." Stegz was unconcerned, going so far as to climb into bed. "If there's a problem we can help solve it."

The guys grumbled their agreements, then it was lights out.

Sleep refused to come to me. I was tired, but I couldn't get comfortable or even keep my eyes shut for more than a minute. Around me the guys dropped off to sleep, light snoring filling the room. Frustrated, I shoved the covers away and went downstairs. Maybe a walk would help.

I could smell the smoke before I could see her. Morlantis was sitting on the porch, a cigarette in her hand and a far away look in her eyes.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

She jumped and hissed. "Don't do that! I almost dropped my cig." She took drag. "And no, I couldn't sleep. It's warmer than Canada. I'll have to get used to it again."

"Not the worst thing to get used to."

"No, its not." She took another drag. "So how'd you guys get out here?"

I told her about Argor and how it was his fault the world changed. About using Chedra's cruiser to survive, and being found by Scarwell. All the times we had to chase down the Raptors and keep them from superheating the planet.

"Those Raptors are idiots," declared Morlantis. "If they actually DID succeed in heating up the planet, then the ice caps would melt and dump all that cold water into the world's ocean currents. They'd have maybe two years of heat and then the next ice age would set in for another 10,000 years! I'm glad you guys are stopping them."

I shivered at the thought of 10,000 years of snow and ice. One day there was bad enough, there's no way I'm living with it for the rest of my life.

"Maybe you should tell the Raptors that," she suggested. "See if it'll change their minds about melting the ice caps."

"We can try, but they're very stubborn."

She laughed, and it eased something in my chest.

The next day when I came down to breakfast Morlantis wasn't there.

"She's in my room," said Chedra. "Looking for something to wear that fits."

I went back up the stairs and knocked on Chedra's door.

"Yeah?" her voice was muffled through the door. I pushed it open.

"Breakfast is…" Her bare back was to me. Thinner than I first thought, with a wound on her back in a familiar pattern. "What happened?"

"What?" she pulled a white sleeveless shirt on, covering the wound.

"Your back, are you hurt?"

She glanced at me then turned back to the pants in her hands. "Oh, no, it's just a tattoo. Ink."

That explains why I couldn't smell any blood. "But why would you get one like that?"

"Because," and she grinned at me over her shoulder, "when I was little the T-Rex was my favorite dinosaur."

Heat flooded my face. I backed out of the room before it could show. "Okay then. See you downstairs." I all but ran away from her and her smile.

This was ridiculous! I shouldn't be feeling this way over someone I just met yesterday! Why? What was it about her that made my stomach flip?

I had to get a hold of myself. Downstairs I announced a team exercise after breakfast. They groaned, but my glare was enough to make them agree.

Morlantis joined us a minute later and offered to make dinner for everyone. "I've got a great recipe for chili!" she said between bites of eggs and toast. "My family used to call it 'napalm' it was so spicy."

Spike puffed out his chest. "Cute name, but my chili has won contests and made the judges cry."

"What, are you afraid you'll like mine better?"

"I never said that!"

"Then prove it! Let me make dinner and we'll let everyone else decide whose burns hotter!"

"You're on! Just don't cry 'cause they say you've lost!"

"I could say the same to you!"

Spike huffed at her. He finished his breakfast in record time and stood up from the table. "I'll meet you guys outside."

Stegz rolled his eyes and stood up as well. "I'm done, see you at dinner." He nodded to the females and Porky.

Bullzeye and Hard Rock were right behind them, leaving me as the last one at the table. My heart started pounding when I looked at Morlantis. "We'll try to call to let you know when we're on our way."

She waved me off. "Have fun, if you can."

It was dark when we got back. I pushed the guys hard today, and they took it with a minimum of grumbling. Now we were all hungry and tired, and looking forward to chili for dinner.

We could smell it a mile off, and the closer we got the better it smelt. By the time we got to Porky's yard we were fighting to hold in the drool. I swear at that moment that nothing had ever smelt better.

Inside the table was set and ready for us, a large pot of chili resting on the middle of the table. Chedra and Porky looked a little apprehensive.

"Is that it?" asked Spike, his snout wrinkling a little in disdain.

"It's been simmering all day," Chedra was whispering, like she didn't want someone to hear her. "Morlantis only now left to clean herself up."

"Yeah, so?"

"So she kept the heat up by blasting the pot with a _flamethrower_! She claimed it cooked more evenly that way!" Chedra was twisting a napkin to shreds in her hands. "I tried to tell her that it was against Article 4 subsection 3, 5, and 6 that weapons were not to be used for preparing food, but she just laughed at me! That's never happened to me before!"

I wanted to feel bad for Chedra, I really did, but since no one got hurt I just couldn't muster up the energy to be furious on her behalf.

Soft footsteps heralded Morlantis's arrival and she smiled at us. "Oh good, you're home. Dinner's ready, if you are."

Was it just me, or was there something a little ominous about the way she said that? I glanced at Stegz; he heard it too. Warily, we took our seats around the table and Morlantis ladled out the chili into each of our bowls.

It still smelt great, and my stomach urged me to eat. My brain urged me to wait.

Morlantis took the first bite and hummed in satisfaction. Not to be outdone, Spike took a big bite as well. He froze, the spoon held halfway back to his bowl, his eyes wide. Red started creeping up his neck and across his face. His eyes started watering and twitching.

"Spike?" Bullzeye nudged him. "You okay?"

Spike _whimpered_, swallowed, and bolted for the sink. He nearly ripped the cold water knob off the faucet in his haste to quench the fire in his mouth.

I eyed my bowl. It looked like normal chili. It _smelt_ like normal chili. Clearly it didn't _taste _like normal chili.

It was a trap.

Spike staggered back to his seat, eyes red and watery and a blush painted just under his eyes. "Too hot."

At least I think that's what he said. His tongue appeared to be numb.

Bullzeye whooped. "That's got to be hot! I've got to try it now!"

Spike tried to warn him but Bullzeye wasn't paying any attention. He took a bite of the chili and promptly repeated Spike's frantic performance. When he returned to his seat, he assured us that it was hot, and that we should each try some.

Hard Rock was debating in his head if he should eat it or not. His thoughts were plain to read on his face. Stegz put his spoon down and his face in his hands. Chedra claimed she wasn't hungry and went to the juicer for a drink. Porky tried a bite and made his own dash for the sink and the cold water.

Morlantis was almost finished with her bowl when she noticed me staring at mine. "Aren't you going to try some?"

"I don't know…"

An expression of sadness crossed her face, and she sniffled. "Okay then, you don't have to eat it if you don't want to. I'll put it away."

That sad face made my heart clench and before I could talk myself out of it, I had a spoonful of chili in my mouth.

In that moment I completely understood my friends. It did indeed taste like napalm. My vision went black.

I woke up on my bed. Stegz was on a chair next to me, reading a scientific magazine without any real interest.

"What happened?" my voice croaked with the words, leaving pain in my throat and on my tongue. Even my teeth ached.

"The chili was too intense for you and you fainted. So did Spike and Bullzeye and Porky. The four of you have been out for almost an hour. Chedra is lecturing Morlantis about overly strong foods and proper disclosure. Hard Rock offered to seal the chili away in the fridge for another day." He folded his magazine and tossed it onto his own bed. "So, how was it?"

"My teeth hurt."

He raised an eye-ridge at me. "Really."

"Really. I'm not making that mistake again." I swung my feet over the edge of the bed and stood up. "Still hungry though."

"It's a good thing we still have those microwave burritos then. They should tide you over until Hard Rock finishes making the tacos."

"Yeah." I knew that if she gave me that sad face in the future that I wouldn't be able to resist. I was hopeless.

(Credit for this story Goes to Copper Steampunk. It's just here because I requested it)


End file.
